


after vah ruta

by windbellows



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Character Study, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23763685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windbellows/pseuds/windbellows
Summary: The sun is setting on Vah Ruta, and Sidon is exhausted.
Relationships: Link & Prince Sidon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	after vah ruta

**Author's Note:**

> something small, set after the divine beast battle - i think sidon is very, very bitter ;w;

Sidon drags himself onto the platform around the Reservoir; he hadn’t meant to overexert himself against Ruta but, he thinks wryly, one can’t quite not put in their all against a Divine Beast. And he hates the thing, too, so if his motions in the water were propelled not just by strength but rage, then so be it. 

He did all he could, anyways. Everything that he could. 

A guard emerges from the stairs and runs towards him. _Gaddison_ , his brain reminds him, and Sidon offers up the best smile he can. “Gaddison -“ he starts.

“Prince Sidon!” She goes to catch him, but he hadn’t been falling in the first place - just half-collapsed - and so she jerks her hands back, before placing them awkwardly on his shoulders. Just where Link’s had been only a matter of minutes ago; they’re still sore, and Sidon hides his wince. Everything is sore. “Prince Sidon, did it go well - how’s Linny -“

“Link is fine. He’s aboard the Divine Beast,” he gets out, painfully pulling himself back into an upright position. “His courage is exemplary.” Sidon hadn’t smelled any fear on him, but at one point the small Hylian had lost energy, seemingly, midair above one of the water-spouts and had fallen to the water, paraglider useless against his descent; when Sidon reached him Link had been gasping for air. Both had hurt, it seems. Perhaps Link is just as good as hiding things as Sidon is. _Or perhaps it’s mere instinct_ , he adds to himself, remembering the Hylian’s lack of memories. Of his sister. 

“And you, Prince Sidon? Are you well?”

“I gave the Divine Beast my all,” is what he replies. “Thank you, Gaddison.”

“My pleasure,” she murmurs, and as Sidon turns his gaze to the Beast he hears her footsteps, hesitant first and then quick, back to her post. 

The sun is setting on Vah Ruta, and Sidon is exhausted. There’s a bed nearby, for guards - before Link had showed up near the Zora River and after Ruta had started her rain, shifts had extended to the Reservoir, to keep an eye on the Beast. He stumbles towards it, falling down onto the mattress with an _oomph_. The weather is nice tonight - Zora do well in most climates and conditions, and there’s a slight roof overhead, but he’s grateful nonetheless. He shifts, adjusting himself. Lying on his back and facing upwards, he closes his eyes.

And sees the ice at the corner of his eye, fast and _sharp_ , and Link’s breath comes fast at his ears, and the eerie waters of the Reservoir are all around them as the Divine Beast screams, and Link launches himself and as Sidon catches his breath - a moment’s respite - he sees Link hang in midair and for a second it’s like time stops while he shoots an arrow, then he comes back down, victorious, and Sidon shouts encouragement even though everything in him burns and the race is back on, and there’s that damn ice again - 

Sidon cannot sleep. He shifts into a curled-up position, tucking into himself, and for once in his life Sidon doesn’t care if anyone sees him like this, vulnerable. Zora typically sleep in the water upright - he knows he’s leaving himself defenseless but he just. Doesn’t. Care. Everything feels weary. 

He wonders how Link is doing. If Link is alive. If he’ll make it out alive. When he had seen him run down towards the bridge Sidon had smelled him on the wind; earthy, and a little like the pine trees that dot Lanayru’s cliffs. A nice smell for one to have. Then he had seen the slate at his side, and he knew immediately that this was the one. 

Even now, Sidon doesn’t know if Link saw through his theatrics or not. 

_Finish the job,_ he had murmured, after nodding to the Hylian as the platform lifted, sealing him in there with whatever was left of his sister, if there was anything. With a biting, biting certainty, Sidon knows something in there killed his sister. His father is wise, but he is foolish, and hopeful for the wrong things.

With a small laugh, Sidon holds himself tighter. Sleep falls blissfully upon the Zora prince and he dreams of better days, of a soft grin and red scales.

\--

"I’m sorry you had to see me like this, Link," he says later, quietly, under the moonlight. Link only nods and moves to his side, flicking his gaze once towards Sidon and then to the statue. 

Not for the first time, Sidon thinks he understands him more than anyone else.

**Author's Note:**

> once again, thank you for reading! hoping everyone is doing as well as possible.


End file.
